Caught in the Moment
by koswarg
Summary: [RonHermione] Ron and Hermione are caught in a dangerous situation. Hermione needs to think of a way out of it, lest they get hurt.


Hermione's foot tapped impatiently against the frozen ground. It helped to alleviate the nervous twisting of her stomach. Why Harry always _insisted_ on worrying the pair of them like this, she would never understand. Honestly, going in alone. What was he thinking? 

Of course, the _logical_ side of her said that this was the sort of thing that was better done alone. He'd needed them for the previous Horcrux, it was true. Of course, _that_ one hadn't been somewhere that required flying. She reluctantly admitted to herself that she and Ron would have only slowed him down, but that didn't keep her from sighing loudly in annoyance.

"Calm down, Hermione," Ron said, in a slightly exasperated tone. "He said he could handle it. And quit jiggling your leg, it's making me nervous."

He shifted next to her on the log, scooting a bit closer. She looked at him curiously and he flushed, adjusting the buttons on his coat for an excuse to avert his eyes. "'s cold," he said simply. Hermione felt her cheeks warm, but she only shrugged, fidgeting with her wand in her lap.

After several hours of sitting in the very same spot, she was becoming very restless.

_He's taking too long_, she thought worriedly, biting her lip in thought. _Voldemort's already on to us, what if he sends..._

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ron's head slumped down onto her shoulder. She almost protested, but she stopped herself. He was exhausted, just like she was. Perhaps more so, because he was always keeping extra hours looking out. He constantly insisted that he only 'forgot' to wake Hermione up for her shift, but she knew better. He may have been trying his best, but Ron was a _terrible_ liar. Which, in retrospect, may have been what made him less-than-perfect boyfriend material.

She was annoyed by his stubbornness most times, but couldn't help smiling to herself about it during other times. He may have been a tactless git at times, but he was also sincere, and she couldn't fault him for it.

Hermione grimaced when he began to drool on her shoulder. That was her limit. Now he was going to be woken up. And rather rudely, if she had anything to do with it.

She was spared the task, however, by the nearby snapping of a twig. Ron jerked upright, as if he'd been caught sleeping during class. Hermione squinted into the darkness, hoping that her fears about being confronted weren't being realized.

She couldn't see a thing, but when another twig snapped, she was certain that they weren't alone. The cold hand of fear gripped her.

She needed to _think_. The pair of them, they needed to appear...less suspicious. She doubted they would be recognized, especially with the image-altering cloaks they were wearing. But two wizards, sitting outside of a place that Voldemort had no doubt told his Death Eaters to keep an eye on...

Like this, they were sitting ducks. She heard the quickening of Ron's breath, and instantly knew that he was planning to do something. She had to stop him; they had no idea what they were up against...two, ten, twenty...the circumstances were too uncertain. She tucked her wand out of sight and elbowed Ron in the ribs, indicating that he should do the same. He looked confused, but thankfully, complied without argument.

Hermione's brow furrowed. What could two teenagers, alone in the forest, _do_ that wouldn't seem out of the ordinary? Recognizing that time was a factor, she took the first idea that came to her and put it into action.

She grabbed Ron by the collar and pulled him forcefully against her, instigating an abrupt, awkward kiss.

Ron's eyes were open, as well as Hermione's. He looked shocked, but more baffled than anything. He questioned her with his eyes, and she answered with a hard glare. "If you blow our cover, I'll _kill_ you," her eyes said.

He seemed to get the message.

Hermione's eyes kept shooting around, as if she expected Death Eaters to fall from the trees at any moment. When they didn't (after a few solid minutes of heated snogging), she broke away suddenly, squinting out into the trees again.

Ron seemed much too befuddled to be of any help at the moment. He was grinning at her like an idiot. Hermione pursed her lips as she felt her cheeks redden. Damn him for making her lose track of her thoughts at a time like this.

A noise - much closer than the previous two - brought the pair back to their senses. Hermione stood, drawing her wand quickly. _We're doomed_, she thought, awaiting the inevitable. She only hoped that they'd have a chance to counter.

The noise grew closer and closer, to the point that Hermione was certain that its next move would be to step out into the clearing where she and Ron waited, wands drawn.

Her hand shook in anticipation, and a million counter-curses ran through her mind. _We've got to keep them from getting to Harry..._ was her only thought, before...

...a large, snowy-white hare leapt out from behind a nearby tree. Hermione found herself hard-pressed to keep the curse on her tongue from slipping out. She didn't want to blow the creature into oblivion.

Ron looked at her for a short moment, before erupting into a fit of laughter. Hermione sank down onto the log, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. He thought this was _funny_? She pursed her lips and glared at him.

"Oh, Hermione," he began, apparently finding it hard to speak through his uncontrollable laughter, "If that's what's going to happen every time a little hare passes by," he paused again as a fresh wave of merriment overtook him, "maybe it's a good thing that Harry isn't with us." She flushed, imagining what Harry would have to say if he'd witnessed the scene.

Hermione humphed, trying with no avail to keep the corners of her lips from twitching upward, despite herself.


End file.
